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On Imaging Resources: Canon 5D mkIII vs Nikon D800 Studio sample comparison!

March 15, 2012 - Article by joe fotosiamo

Alright folks! Looks like Imaging Resources has already put both the Canon 5D mkIII and the Nikon D800 through their studio test and wow, I got to say that the sample photos are very revealing. The extra resolution of the D800 does result in noise penalty. You can start to see it at ISO1600 and it is pretty noticeable at ISO 3200. On the other hand, the 5D mkIII does a better job with noise control and you don’t really see it until ISO6400.

Surprisingly, at 100% crop, the 5D seems to fare better in terms of resolution detail, as well.What do you guys think?

The best way to see Imaging Resource’s comparison side-by-side is by going to their Comparometer

 

UPDATE: So it looks in the EXIF data, Imaging Resources used the Sigma Macro 70mm F2.8 EX DG on the Nikon D800and the EF50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro +LSCor Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro EF on the Canon 5D mkIII.

 

Canon 5D mkIII at IS06400
Canon 5D mkIII ISO 6400

Nikon D800 at ISO6400
Nikon D800 ISO6400

 

Here are some 100% crop samples, with the 5D mkIII on the top and the D800 on the bottom

ISO100

Crop-1-ISO100 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-2-ISO100 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-3-ISO100 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

ISO800

Crop-1-ISO800 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-2-ISO800 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-3-ISO800 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

ISO1600

Crop-1-ISO1600 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-2-ISO1600 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-3-ISO1600 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

ISO3200

Crop-1-ISO3200 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-2-ISO3200 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-3-ISO3200 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

ISO6400

Crop-1-ISO6400 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-2-ISO6400 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Crop-3-ISO6400 Canon 5D mkIII Nikon D800

 

Conclusion

I still like the Nikon D800 and I think it will do great as a studio camera. But just like any tools, you do have to know what the limitations are for your camera, especially when you are investing several thousand dollars for it. That said, the Canon 5D mkIII is definitely a remarkable improvement over the mkII.
Stay creative!

Article written by

Joe Gunawan | fotosiamo.com
Joe Gunawan is a commercial and fashion photographer based out of Los Angeles, California. Check out his work at fotosiamo fotografie

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About the author

About joe fotosiamo
Joe is a rising fashion and commercial photographer based in Los Angeles, CA. He blends creativity and edge with a strong style of lighting and emotion in his photographs. Be sure to check out his work at www.fotosiamo.com and connect with him on Google Plus and on Facebook
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  • http://slrlounge.com/ Matthew Saville

    Awesome post, Joe!

    I think as far as 36 megapixels versus 22 megapixels are concerned, I don’t think the average shooter will see much of a difference in resolution at ISO 100, and at higher ISO’s the advantage will clearly go to the 5D mk3.

    HOWEVER, I think where the D800 will truly pull ahead will be with the D800E, at lower ISO’s. That’s the test I’m looking forward to seeing!  If they can avoid moire in as many situations as possible, the D800E will be the high-res champion by a long shot.

    They’re definitely two different cameras designed for two different purposes, in my opinion.  the 5D m3 is much more of an “all-around” camera, with a good balance of high resolution and yet great low-light performance.  Whereas the D800 is just going for broke, attempting to gouge out a chunk of the medium format market.

    That’s another thing-  Yeah, the D800 might be a stop (or more) noisier than the 5D mk3, but it’s still WAYYYYY ahead of anything medium format hast to offer.  A 30-40 megapixel medium format back is probably only really going to be usable up to ISO 400 or 800, while the D800 pulls off 1600 and even 3200 quite nicely.

    I’m also keeping in mind that these are in-camera JPG tests, and RAW image data might be quite different in Adobe Lightroom 4.  So there’s that to look forward to…  :-)

    =Matt=

    • Lubetkin

      the shots were not taken with the same shutter speeds and aperature which in my opinion invalidates the entire exerciae

      • http://slrlounge.com/ Matthew Saville

        While I’m sure they were shot on a tripod and focused carefully, I’m definitely willing to believe that the images aren’t a perfect representation of either camera’s full potential.

        However, that doesn’t change the most likely outcome:  The 5D mk3 is better at low light, it is just a matter of by how much.  And even then, “how much better” will NOT be a reason to switch from one brand to the other, (in my opinion) …only a decision of whether or not to upgrade from the previous models.

        =Matt=

      • Joe Gunawan

        Different shutter speeds and aperture or not, the photos still represent the capabilities of each cameras by themselves. You can view each camera’s series of photos by itself and still come back to a similar conclusion, I believe. If all I saw was the D800′s set of photos, I would still think that there is a definite noise penalty from the 36MP resolution.

        That said, I would also look at other website’s analysis, as well as real life photos in various lighting before making a comprehensive judgment.

        I still believe that both cameras are very capable cameras that any Canonites and Nikonians would enjoy.

  • Joe Gunawan

    Once you do resize both camera’s files to the same resolution, the Nikon D800 does look better than at 100% crop. I’m sure that print wise, it would be a similar outcome.  I still like the D800 and of course, more conclusive tests and in RAW will help us photographers make more informed decisions.

    Oh, and photos from the field, too =)

    Joe Gunawan | fotosiamo.com

  • http://www.facebook.com/paul.antonescu Paul Antonescu

    I printed the 25600 examples. I was a bit disappointed and I felt that d800 didn’t make it, but there is hope! 
    What if you use on these test shots a Nikon lens instead of Sigma? You really can’t compare test shots without using both Canon and Nikon prime lenses.
    Therefore, admitting that the Canon 5Dmiii sensor is better I’m still looking forward to a  new and more exact contest :)!
    I’m a wedding photographer and I never went on those shallow grounds beyond ISO 6400!

    Paul Antonescu | http://www.paulantonescu.ro   
     

    • http://slrlounge.com/ Matthew Saville

      Paul, I think if you’re a low-light wedding photographer, the 5D mk3 is going to beat the D800 no matter how you shoot / process the photos.  The high ISO performance of the 5D mk3 is going to be superior.  The question is only, by how much?  Especially, if you down-sample your output to ~12 megapixels, which is all a client ever needs anyways.

      The other bottom line is, the 5D mk3 may not really beat Nikon’s D3s, let alone the D4.  So if you’re willing to pay ~$3500 for better ISO performance than say, a Nikon D700, the D3s is a GREAT choice to get up into the land of “borderline acceptable” ISO 12800.  (And pretty darn clean 6400) I don’t think either the 5D mk3 or the 1DX are going to do much better at those extreme ISO’s.  This entire new generation will probably be within a stop, with the D800 at the bottom and the D4 / 1DX at the top.  And probably, with an affordable 16 megapixel camera from Nikon within a year, and a 35+ megapixel camera from Canon within a year.  (To fill each of their current “lineup gaps”…)

      =Matt=

      • http://www.facebook.com/paul.antonescu Paul Antonescu

        Matt, thanks for the reply!
        So you’re suggesting a D3s instead of a D800?I’m still satisfied with my D700, which, by the way, does an awesome job! I believe that D800 is a stunning camera, and I’m not just saying. I had the opportunity to test it for a pre-order! I’ve got a few RAW test shots. Here’s what I’ve got after exporting, without any retouches! My test shots look different than these on available low light at ISO 25600.

        These two are great cameras and honestly to me is like comparing brands like BMW with Mercedes!

        PS: I’m pretty sure canon wouldn’t have done this incredible sensitive ISO option without testing it proper. Great job for them!
        If anyone want the raw files I’m happy to share them for an objective opinion about the camera.
        mailto: photo@paulantonescu.ro

        Paul Antonescu | http://www.paulantonescu.ro

  • http://www.facebook.com/CatherineLaceyPhotography Catherine Lacey Dodd

    You star for running this comparative experiment. Looking fwd to that 5Dii now!

  • Jenn Bates

    Great comparison, thank you!

  • Rogerthat

    Maybe instead compare the Raw’s and not the Jpg’s which can also be downloaded.
    The 5Diii has a lot of sharpening and noise reduction applied in it’s Jpg processing.

    I think you’l find the exact opposite results if you compare raws…

  • http://www.stevehale.net/ Steve Hale

    As others have said here, the reality is when they are printed there will be very little in it.  Nobody would change systems based on this, once you have invested in glass unless the other party comes up with a really game changer which neither have you stick with it.  We are all very lucky as photographers to have this kind of low light capabilities available to us.

    Steve | http://www.stevehale.net

  • Anonymous

    As a landscape photographer I am most interested in big prints. I made 60inch test prints from the 100iso samples and while the 5D3 results were acceptable, the D800 results were truly excellent and carried much greater fine detail. (as would be expected from 36mp)

    High iso may favour the 5D3, but that’s not where I shoot…. “horses for courses” I guess. We have a D800E on order and I am looking forward to seeing how much detail it will deliver. (will make a RAW available asap)

    Cheers

    Russell
    http://www.australianlight.com.au

  • Joebob_31

    Wow … 5DIII blows the Nikon out of the water!

  • Ab See

    This test is misleading, only testing the resolution of the lens.  The Sigma 70mm f2.8 EX DG cannot fully exploit the resolution of the 36.3MP sensor of the D800, so the images looks not as sharp as the 5DMKIII at 100% crop.  The 100% crop at D800 is equal to 65% more magnification than the 5DMKIII. The resolution of the Sigma lens can cover the 22MP sensor of the 5DMKIII but unable to match the resolution required for the D800.

    Also, the D800 is target for studio and daylight landscape market for high resolution, not high ISO performance.

    Both tests are meaningless comparison.

  • Dodging

    Anyone else notice that the crops between the 2 cameras are totally different?

    • Pablo

      They have to be different, they are 100% crops on sensors with different resolutions.  For them to show the exact same view they would have to be displayed at less/more than the 100% crop, which wouldn’t be particularly meaningful in terms of comparison.  This shows the image at the pixel level, it just so happens that there are more pixels in the Nikon, so the image shows a different view. 

  • Anonymous

    I have no idea where you guys are looking at, but the D800 crops look better than the 5D3 ones. They have more noise, but that is because NR is lower by default on the Nikon. If you look at the pink fabric, the D800 one shows fabric, where the 5D makes it a plastic bag. Look at the wine bottle-wrap: the lines and the green have colour on the D800, where sharpening turns the lines almost white on the 5D, and the green edges black. I bet that when we will see the DXO, the 5D scores lower than the D800. And if you think 36mp is too much, just switch it to 20mp. I think they should have posted the 20mp images of the D800 here too.

    But go ahead: all go buy that Canon. That way I don’t have to wait that long till the best ever all-round camera arrives my the door. And fck FPS. Just click at the right moment dmmt!

  • Guest

    mk iii is far better infact

  • Mikah

    5DMKIII has a longer exposure & more noise reduction applied to the jpeg.
    The default noise reduction in the D800 is  less.
    Download the raws & its clear the D800 is better at high ISO

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